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Harmony agrees to mining skills development programme after violent Free State job protests

Details

Monday, 16 October 2017 14:00

News24Wire reports that Harmony Gold has announced that an agreement has been reached with the Matjhabeng municipality and the Unemployment Forum to implement a special community development programme that will equip residents in certain Free State communities with mining skills.

Harmony spokesperson Max Manoeli said the agreement had been reached on Friday and would benefit residents in Welkom and surrounding areas. This came after violence erupted in the local municipality townships and surrounding areas last week. Disgruntled residents from Welkom, Thabong and Odendaalsrus barricaded the main roads with burning tyres, rocks and other objects in a protest against a lack of mining jobs. Several shops were looted. "Harmony will provide training and certification of mining operator skills such as rock drill operating, winch and loco driving. The main idea is to create a pool from which Harmony can absorb a workforce from the successful trainees," Manoeli explained. He added that there might be an opportunity for a successful trainee to join Harmony. Seventy miners will start the programme at Harmony and 30 others at Sibanye Gold on 1 November. The protest has since been suspended.